The rights of the Nigerian child to education and wellbeing are enshrined in the country’s constitution and the Child’s Rights Act of2003. The latter’s enactment as federal law gave the impression that the country’s central leadership within the structure of power in a federal system would find a way ofensuring the protection of those rights across all states without undermining the residual legislative authorities of state governments. However, it has not been easy for the central government to influence state governments even in matters where both have concurrent legislative responsibilities. State and local governments need enhanced capacities to establish appropriate institutions to provide the requisite socioeconomic services in a reengineered or restructured Nigerian federal system.
